2024 Pilot Training Conference

WATS is entirely dedicated to airline simulation and training, allowing you to discover the latest innovative training solutions for pilots. Supported by the training industry and subject matter experts, the WATS 2024 Pilot Training Conference provided practical solutions for those day to day challenges and offered key insights into the future of the industry.

To find out more about the WATS speakers and to read about what they’ll be talking about, click on their name or go straight to the Meet the Speakers page.

Pilot Conference Moderator: Rick Adams

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
2) Captain Erika Armstrong, Pilot (Part 135 and 121) / Director of Marketing, Advanced Aircrew Academy
The Pilot Brain: How Personality Affects Safety

Session 2 – Regulatory & Market Outlook (all streams)
1) Robert Reckert, Manager Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Update
2) Soufiane El Ouartassi, Product Marketing Manager, CAE
Aviation Talent Forecast

Session 3 – Can We Agree on Methodology?
1) Captain Jorge Reyes, Director of Training, Copa Airlines & Captain Michael Varney, CEO, Salient
Enhanced Safety Results from Evidence-Based Training
2) Bob Burgin, CEO, Amplifire
Adaptive Learning in High-Stakes Work Environments
3) Captain Philip Adrian, CEO, MPS
Training Optimization Through Modern Knowledge and Technology

Session 4 – Criticality of Instructors
1) Aleksandra Kapela, Associate Aviation Psychologist, Symbiotics
Beyond the Checklist: Shaping Exceptional Pilot Instructors of the Future
2) Captain Ping Lee, Chief Pilot of HF CRM Team, EVA Airways
IRR: A Never-Ending Battle
3) Captain Stéphan Labrucherie, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus
The Impact of Instructors

Pilot Conference sponsored by:

Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

Session 5 – Evolving Training Environments
1) Kathy Abbott, PhD, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor, Flight Deck Human Factors, Federal Aviation Administration
Automation, Manual Flight and Monitoring
2) Pau García Sanz, Lead Aerospace Engineer, Data Machine Intelligence
Evolving Flight Training Using Distributed Cloud Simulation Software
3) Asa Margareta Freitas, Innovation Lead, Thales
Will We Find the Holy Grail of Training?

Session 6 – Augmenting Intelligence
1) Captain Chris Ranganathan, Chief Learning Officer, Civil Aviation Training, CAE
Technology to Support Risk Based Training Programs
2) Cedric Paillard, COO, The Airline Pilot Club & Aleksandra Kapela, Associate Aviation Psychologist, Symbiotics
AI and Psychometrics in Pilot Selection & Recruitment: A Collaborative Model for Sustaining Quality Pilot Supply
3) Kevin Verdière, Head of Product, Hinfact & Thomas Bessiere, Founder & CEO, Hinfact
Enhanced (and Simplified) Pilot Training Management: The Convergence of Neuroergonomics and AI

Session 7 – Airmanship
1) Mike Tarsa, Senior Learning Engineer, Touch & Go Solutions
Cognitive Task Analysis for Flight Path Management
2) Captain Christof Kemény, Captain/Senior Checkairman/Senior Training Advisor, Lufthansa Group
Push-to-Unload – Are We Doing It Right?
3) Clarke McNeace, Executive Vice President, Compliance & Customer Experience, Aviation Performance Solutions (APS)
Harmonizing Excellence: Tailoring UPRT Instructor Training for Airlines and Flight Schools

Session 8 – Airline Training Leaders Panel (Pilot & Ab Initio)

Moderated by Captain Paul Preidecker & Rick Adams

Panel:

• Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Founder & President, Aircraft Manufacturer Flight Training Association (AMFTA)
• William McDonald, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Airlines for America
• Captain Michael Dee, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Republic Airways
• Captain Jorge Reyes, Training Director, Copa Airlines
• Captain Christof Kemény, Captain/Senior Checkairman/Senior Training Advisor, Lufthansa Group
• Captain Ping Lee, Chief Pilot of HF CRM Team, EVA Airways

Day 3 – Thursday 2^nd May 2024

Session 9 – Fit to Fly – Human Factors Panel: Stress, Fatigue and Mental Wellness (Pilot & Ab Initio)

• Captain (Ret.) Reyne O’Shaughnessy, Founder/CEO, Piloting 2 Wellbeing
• Jason Davenhill, Performance & Executive Coach / Helicopter & Fixed Wing Flying Instructor, Inflow Performance
• Andrés Ospina, Founder, The Aeronaut

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BREAKOUT SESSION – Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) (Pilot & Ab Initio)
1) Murat Kose, CEO, Quantum3D
Mixed Reality eVTOL Flight Simulator
2) Dr. Samantha Emerson, Research Scientist, Aptima, Inc.
Training a New Generation of Pilots and Maintainers: Open Issues in eVTOL Training
3) Chase Schulze, Director of Engineering Services, Operations, Systems Technology Inc. (STI)
eVTOL Simulation from an (AI-Adapted) Clean Sheet

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Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
1) Amanda Bentley, Senior Director Integration Sales, Americas, Tobii & Dr. Aki Nikolaidis, Chief Science Officer, VTR
Building Disruptive Training with XR and Eye Tracking
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Virtual Reality in Motion
3) Dr. Julian Abich IV, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Multi-Pilot Mixed Reality Simulator for Aviation Training